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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · pass · game · coach · chair · perch · mug · clip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — a match
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mug — to rob
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rule — government
  21. clip — for paper
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com